Since 2000, Texas has opened the doors of college for 540,000 more students, to include doubling enrollments for Hispanics and African Americans. Annual postsecondary credentials have increased by 61%, with postsecondary attainment for Hispanics and African Americans at historic levels. And Texas universities were responsible for more than $3.75 billion in research and development expenditures in 2011. Few states can match these accomplishments. But our competitors are not standing still. Texas is getting better, but not fast enough to compete in the global economy.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's mission is to promote access, affordability, quality, success, and cost efficiency in the state's institutions of higher education, through Closing the Gaps and its successor plan, resulting in a globally competent workforce that positions Texas as an international leader in an increasingly complex world economy.

While we remain committed to achieving parity with leading states such as California, New York, and Massachusetts, we are preparing to compete with international powers like China, Korea, and Germany.